BRISBANE (Australia), Nov 29: India were humiliated here on the opening day of a three-day match against a young Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) on Saturday.
With the first Test against the world champion Australia only five days away, the tourists were given a lesson in batting and bowling by what was virtually a Queensland state second eleven.
The Academy punished the wayward Indian bowling before declaring at 304 for six wickets and then left the tourists staggering at 17 for three wickets at stumps.
The Queensland side’s Zimbabwe-born left-arm paceman Scott Brant was on a hat-trick in his second over after Akash Chopra (0) edged to first slip and Deep Dasgupta (0) was trapped in front without offering a shot.
In the next over, fast bowler Joe Dawes sent a disbelieving Virender Sehwag (six) back to the pavilion when he edged a leg-side catch to wicketkeeper Chris Hartley.
Academy batsmen Lee Carseldine (112) and Chris Simpson (85) had shown there was little menace in the pitch earlier in the day to propel the home side to 222 for three wickets.
The pair, who combined for an 85-run fourth-wicket stand, dealt severely with the loose Indian bowling.
Though India were resting front-line players Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra and Harbhajan Singh, the bowling suggested the tourists are set for long, hot and unfruitful summer.
Only veteran leg-spinner Anil Kumble, fighting for a berth in the side for Thursday’s first Test at the ‘Gabba here, bowled with any consistency to pick up 4-74 from 26 overs.
Scoreboard
Queensland Academy of Sport (1st innings)
C.Simpson c and b Agarkar 43
D.Payne lbw b Pathan 0
L.Carseldine c Dasgupta b Kumble 112
A.Nye b Kumble 15
C.Philipson st Dasgupta b Kumble 85
S.Farrell lbw b Kumble 9
C.Hartley not out 21
R.Le Roux not out 5
Extras (b-4 lb-1 w-2 nb-7) 14
Total (for six wkts, decl) 304
Did not bat: S.Jurgensen, S.Brant, J.Dawes, S.Magoffin
Fall of wkts: 1-4 2-65 3-137 4-222 5-256 6-284
Bowling: Agarkar 18-4-73-1, Pathan 17-2-70-1 (nb-1 w-2), Balaji 11-3-36-0 (nb-2), Ganguly 4-0-16-0, Kumble 26-4-74-4 (nb-3), Sehwag 5-0-30-0 (nb-1)
India (1st innings):
A.Chopra c Carseldine b Brant 0
V.Sehwag c Hartley b Dawes 6
D.Dasgupta lbw b Brant 0
VVS Laxman not out 1
S.Ganguly not out 5
Extras (lb-5) 5
Total (for three wickets) 17
To bat: I.Pathan, P.Patel, A.Kumble, L.Balaji, R.Dravid, S.Ramesh, A.Agarkar
Fall of wkts: 1-7 2-7 3-11
Bowling: Dawes 4-1-10-1, Brant 3-2-2-2.—AFP/Reuters